Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of WOMEN'S WRESTLING WEEKLY—a rundown of the events which have transpired in the world of women's professional wrestling over the past several days not just with the Superstars on WWE programming, but with Impact Wrestling's Knockouts, ROH's Women of Honor, and even a glimpse at the women on the independent circuit.



Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair vs The IIconics

Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair have enjoyed a reunion of sorts recently, and this week they continued to team up as they faced off against The IIconics.

The IIconics have struggled to do anything of note since they lost the Women’s Tag Team Championship, and this match was no different. After a contest in which the IIconics did nothing interesting, Flair was able to submit Billie Kay with her patented Figure Eight.

This match was serviceable, but Lynch and Flair should be competing against much stronger teams.

Winner: Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair
Rating: 2/5


Natalya vs Asuka

Asuka has been revitalised since The Kabuki Warriors turned heel, and she continued her dominant run with a routine victory over Natalya.

In what would prove to be a fairly even match, Asuka played up to her heel nature by receiving support from Kairi Sane, and as a result of the distraction this provided, Asuka hit a Head Kick on Natalya for the pinfall.

This match was perfectly acceptable, however Asuka deserves to be competing against the elite on Raw, rather than having even matches with mediocre wrestlers.

Winner: Asuka
Rating: 2/5



Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley vs Sasha Banks

For Rhea Ripley, this week presented an opportunity to cement herself as a star within WWE, and competing against the incomparable Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks was an opportunity she needed to capitalise on.

This was a competitive match in which all 3 wrestlers had an opportunity to shine, however Ripley was able to outsmart both Flair and Banks by slapping on a Crucifix pin to Flair whilst the Figure Eight was locked in on a prone Banks. This was an ingenious manner for Ripley to pick up the victory.

Ripley looked a true star in this contest, which also served as a reminder that NXT will pose a true threat at Survivor Series. This was a quality match which served it’s purpose well.

Winner: Rhea Ripley
Rating: 3.5/5



NXT UK didn’t feature any women’s matches this week, however Kay Lee Ray would represent NXT UK as part of the women’s WarGames match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.


Becky Lynch vs Rhea Ripley

Becky Lynch made an appearance on NXT this week, only to be challenged by Rhea Ripley. This was Ripley’s first opportunity to prove how strong she is, and she wasn’t about to let it slip between her fingers.

Ripley and Lynch put on an extremely interesting match, with both wrestlers able to dominate stretches of the contest. The finish of the match had Shayna Baszler interfere to cause the double DQ.

As a match, this was a great contest that allowed Ripley to look strong. The match finish also allowed the overall narrative of Lynch vs Baszler to develop well heading into Survivor Series for their match with Bayley.

Winner: No Contest
Rating: 3/5


Kay Lee Ray vs Dakota Kai

Kay Lee Ray announced she was a part of Team Baszler last week, and this week she competed against Dakota Kai, who had been overlooked by Rhea Ripley to represent her team at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.

This match was a great way to introduce Kay Lee Ray to a new audience, and Ray took full advantage of her opportunity. After a contest that she largely dominated, Ray isolated Kai and hit the Gory Bomb for the pinfall victory.

As an overall match, there are no complaints with this offering. It allowed Ray to look strong, whilst also building sympathy for Kai.

Winner: Kay Lee Ray
Rating: 2.5/5



Britt Baker vs Hikaru Shida

As talented as Britt Baker is, some of her matches in AEW have only shown glimpses of her undoubted potential, however she put in a great performance against Hikaru Shida, in what may have been her most memorable match so far.

Shida was able to stay one step ahead of Baker during most of the match, keeping her at bay just enough to remain in control. Baker’s desire to change this and assert herself in the match was admirable, but a Running Knee Strike was too much for Baker to handle as Shida followed this up with the pinfall victory.

Baker put in a great performance, arguably making Shida look better than she is. Both wrestlers can be proud of their performance, as this was yet another great AEW offering.

Winner: Hikaru Shida
Rating: 3/5



Honourable Mention: Tessa Blanchard

This week, Tessa Blanchard became the number 1 contender to the Impact World Championship.



Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray vs Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai & Tegan Nox

This was the first ever women’s WarGames match, and despite being heavily hyped going into NXT TakeOver: WarGames, was simply a spectacular contest that did not disappoint.

Prior to the match, Mia Yim was mysteriously taken out backstage, which resulted in Dakota Kai being added to Team Ripley. As suspected, this led to a highly effective heel turn during the match, with Kai brutalising Tegan Nox to leave Team Ripley 4-2 down in terms of bodies.

Amazingly, despite Team Baszler holding the advantage, Shayna Baszler and her team were unable to capitalise and make their extra numbers count. Candice LeRae is a pure face who plays up to her never say die attitude, and this attitude was present throughout the match.

Baszler appeared to have won the match after grabbing Rhea Ripley and gripping her in the Kirifuda Clutch, however the sheer strength of Rhea Ripley prevailed as she not only fought out of it, but she was able to hit a handcuff assisted Riptide onto a set of open steel chairs for the pinfall.

This match was simply incredible, with everyone involved in the match shining. Io Shirai and Bianca Belair hit impressive moves in the match, however credit needs to be given to Ripley, who set herself up as the strongest woman on the NXT roster. This match was suitably violent, whilst never being over the top.

Winner: Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai & Tegan Nox
Rating: 5/5



Becky Lynch vs Bayley vs Shayna Baszler

This match was deservedly the main event of Survivor Series, which was a show of the faith WWE has in all 3 wrestlers. The quality of this contest was never in doubt, and to many fans, this was predicted to be the best match of the night.

Shayna Baszler had an opportunity to show how dominant she is, taking full advantage of any opportunity presented to her. Near the climax of the match, Baszler took out Becky Lynch by slamming her into an announce table, before submitting Bayley to her Kirifuda Clutch for the submission victory.

Baszler came out of this match as an even bigger star, and it is clear she is main roster ready. It is a shame NXT will eventually lose her services, however Raw or SmackDown would receive the cornerstone of the women’s division for the next 5 years. It would be amazing to see Baszler vs Lynch in the main event of WrestleMania 36.

Winner: Shayna Baszler
Rating: 3/5


Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Sarah Logan & The Kabuki Warriors vs Sasha Banks, Nikki Cross, Carmella, Dana Brooke & Lacey Evans vs Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai & Toni Storm

This match was highly chaotic at times, which was no surprise considering the amount of women involved. Elimination matches tend to have a disjointed feel to them, which was evident here, but the efforts of all 15 women ensured it was an entertaining contest.

Asuka took out Charlotte Flair to cheers from fans in attendance, whilst Bianca Belair looked strong in securing a series of eliminations. The match ended with Sasha Banks, Natalya and Rhea Ripley as the final representatives of their teams, with Banks pinning Natalya to leave herself and Ripley as the final 2.

Following interference from Io Shirai and Candice LeRae, Ripley was able to take advantage and connect with a Riptide to pin Banks and secure the win for Team NXT. The finish of the match could have been booked better as it seemed to needlessly protect Banks, however it further highlighted just how much of a made woman Ripley is. Team NXT deservedly won, ensuring they gained respect from main roster fans who may not have been familiar with their work.

Winner: Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai & Toni Storm
Rating: 4/5



This match was quite simply amazing. It had everything, including a heel turn, a simply fabulous narrative, and most importantly, superb wrestling. Everyone involved put in a shift, with no single wrestler looking bad. It can even be argued that the women’s WarGames match was superior to the men’s.


Rhea Ripley had perhaps one of the strongest weeks in wrestling ever. She took Becky Lynch to a double DQ whilst looking strong in the process, pinned Charlotte Flair, led her team to victory at NXT TakeOver: WarGames despite an overwhelming disadvantage, and followed this up with being the sole survivor for Team NXT by pinning Sasha Banks. All of these in isolation would put her in contention for Woman of the Week, but combined, they evidence a star who could dominate women’s wrestling for the next 15 years. Ripley is a made woman, and she deserves all of the plaudits she receives.

So there you have it, the breakdown for the week in women's wrestling. What were some of your favorite and least favorite moments from these women? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!